Single Window System: Special Select Committee completes review of Bill

…several new clauses added, report to be tabled in National Assembly

Almost three months after the Planning and Development Single Window System Bill (2022) had been sent to a Special Select Committee, a report on the committee’s review of the bill will be presented to the National Assembly when it meets on Thursday. A number of clauses have been added to the bill.
The Planning and Development Single Window System Bill is a piece of legislation that is intended to revolutionise the way business is done in Guyana. Back in April 2023, the Government had agreed to send the bill to a Special Select Committee for it to be reviewed by both sides of the house. With that review now completed, Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, will on Thursday be presenting a report of the committee’s review to the National Assembly.
Among the changes that have been made to the bill is a subclause mandating the monitoring and evaluation of the relevant agencies as they do their work. According to this proposed change, the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) of the Ministry of Housing shall “monitor and evaluate the operations of the relevant agencies” in addition to the CH&PA’s responsibility to “establish timelines for the processing and approval of planning and development applications.”

Another new inclusion is mandating the publishing of semi-annual reports on the number of applications received, and their status. According to this new subclause, “The unit shall publish on the website of the Ministry semi-annually reports on the number of applications received, and their status.”
The bill, meanwhile, provides for a Planning Appeals Tribunal that will hear complaints by persons whose applications for building and other permits have been refused. The tribunal shall “(a) allow or dismiss the appeal; (b) uphold the decision of the central authority; (c) reserve or vary the decision of the central authority.”
Following the Select Committee’s review, it was decided to have all appeals to the tribunal heard in public, where the complainant may appear in person or be represented by their lawyer. Appeals to the tribunal must also be heard within three months of the Notices of Appeal being filed.
And while the bill states that the tribunal’s decisions shall be final, another clause was added giving the cabinet the power of reviewing decisions of the tribunal that are of national interest. According to the clause, “If a declaration under subsection (11) is made, the decision of the appeals tribunal shall be reviewed by the cabinet, which may (a) confirm the decision; (b) confirm the decision with conditions or; (c) revoke the decision.”
During the 63rd Sitting of the National Assembly, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), in a concession to the parliamentary Opposition and concerns they had expressed, committed to having the Planning and Development Single Window System Bill sent to a special select committee for further examination.
Members of that Special Select Committee included Attorney General Anil Nandlall; Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Texieira; Minister within the Housing Ministry, Susan Rodrigues; and Minister within the Public Works Ministry, Deodat Indar. On the Opposition side, the members had included Members of Parliament Roysdale Forde, Annette Ferguson, David Patterson and Ganesh Mahipaul.
The single-window process is a strategy implemented by the Government to integrate agencies’ approach to services, efficiency, and to significantly reduce the processing time for planning and building permission.
The legislative framework now paves the way for, among other things, standardized application forms and checklists, as well as minimizing the time for completing a transaction. Further, the electrical portal will enable investors to submit planning and building permits and check the status from anywhere around the globe, as this new mechanism forms part of the Government’s attempt to increase the ease of doing business and foster a business-friendly environment.
In December 2022, a $202 million contract was signed with Global Services – a Guyanese-led consortium with global experience – to make the issuance of planning and building permits hassle-free. The company was tasked with providing a server and network infrastructure; security solutions; and hardware and software maintenance and repairs.
The single-window system will feature five key elements, including one-window access to allow the CH&PA to be the point of entry for planning and building applications; as well as a dashboard to show the status of individual applications and generate progress reports, which can also be accessed by applicants. Another feature of the system is a time-bound element by which the relevant agencies will have to respond to applications, otherwise they would automatically be considered approved. (G3)